Welcome to “Down on the Farm,” your weekly Seattle Kraken prospects update. In this week’s column, we’ll bring you on the ice in Coachella Valley, where Jake O’Brien made his professional debut this week. We’ll also get you up to date on Julius Miettinen’s dominant WHL playoff run, which has the Everett Silvertips on the verge of their first WHL Championship. We’ll also have notes and video from around the Kraken system and the Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week, as always.
If you have a Seattle Kraken prospect-related question you’d like to see featured in a future column or mailbag, drop us a note below or on X or BlueSky at @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey.
Jake O’Brien enters the Firebirds lineup in Game 1 of the Pacific Division Finals
With a dramatic 3–2 double-overtime win over the Ontario Reign on Saturday, the Coachella Valley Firebirds advanced to the Pacific Division Finals against the Colorado Eagles. This not only brought the Firebirds one step closer to the Calder Cup, but it also extended the team’s postseason by at least three games. That afforded the organization the opportunity to get Jake O’Brien into the lineup for Wednesday’s Game 1 against Colorado.
“It was a whirlwind losing in the [OHL] playoffs and then coming here. Getting in the lineup was pretty exciting,” O’Brien told the media after the game. O’Brien had his mother and stepfather in the stands watching him.
O’Brien skated more than 10 minutes in a fourth-line center role and on the second power-play unit. The Firebirds even threw him out there at the end of the game as the extra attacker with the goalie pulled. Check out all of his shifts in the video below.
Though the game was a disappointing 3–0 loss, the organization has to be pleased that O’Brien got a close look at professional game speed and strength. There were certainly times when he bounced off checks and fell behind the speed of play. But this eliminates some unknowns for O’Brien and lays out clear benchmarks he’ll need to hit in the offseason.
“It was very fast, very physical. It was kind of what I was expecting. I did a lot of video before, getting ready for this game. It was a lot faster than junior was for me,” O’Brien said. “I feel like I got better shift by shift. By Game 2, I’m going to be better.”
Overall, I thought the nerves were evident in his game, particularly early. He looked a bit mechanical and slow to process at first. But he went to the net front with regularity in the offensive zone, took the punishment, and it seemed like this got him into the game a bit. He tried a few skilled passes and controlled entries that you would expect from a talented offensive player. He had one opportunity to get a puck on net, but it sailed on him a bit in a contested situation.
“[O’Brien] is a very cerebral offensive player,” Firebirds coach Derek Laxdal said. “Here’s a kid who is 18 years old getting thrown into his first AHL game, and I thought he showed well. He didn’t shrink in the moment. He did a really good job of hanging onto the puck and making some plays. He’ll be better the next game he plays.”
Julius Miettinen is upping his play in the WHL Playoffs
2024 second-round pick Julius Miettinen leads the WHL Playoffs in total points (27) and points per game (1.59). Most impressively, he has 14 goals, which is the most in the WHL playoffs, two more than teammate Matias Vanhanen and five more than the next closest player.
His postseason run has pushed his combined regular-season and postseason total to 103 points in 69 games. He is one of only eight players to record more than 100 points, and his overall scoring rate (1.49 points per game) is higher than any player with more points than him.
This is a truly remarkable accomplishment for a player who has been thought to project as a support player in the professional ranks—contributing more to wins and losses than the stat sheet. If the development goal for this season was to push his offensive game to the next level, Miettinen checked that box.
What I’ve really liked in the postseason games I’ve been able to catch is the continued growth in his puck-possession ability. Miettinen’s first goal of the series came off a nice possession entry. If Miettinen can add that element to his game consistently, he has the look of a quality NHL power forward.
With four goals and five assists in four games since our last update, Miettinen is your Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the week.
The Everett Silvertips are now one win away from the team’s first-ever WHL Championship. Game 5 of the series is tonight (Friday) in Prince Albert:
Fri, May 15 – Everett at Prince Albert – 6:30 pm PDT – Art Hauser Centre Sun, May 17 – Prince Albert at Everett – 7:00 pm PDT – Angel of the Winds Arena* Mon, May 18 – Prince Albert at Everett – 7:00 pm PDT – Angel of the Winds Arena* *If necessary
Alexis Bernier and the Saguenéens battle in the QMJHL Finals
The Chicoutimi Saguenéens and Moncton Wildcats are tied at two games apiece in the best-of-7 QMJHL Finals. Bernier scored an improbable goal from deep in Leon Draisaitl’s office in Game 2, which the Saguenéens ultimately won by one goal.
Fri, May 15 – Chicoutimi at Moncton – 3:00 pm PDT – Centre Avenir Sun, May 17 – Moncton at Chicoutimi – 4:00 pm PDT – Centre Georges-Vézina Tue, May 19 – Chicoutimi at Moncton – 3:00 pm PDT – Centre Avenir* *If necessary
2026 NHL Draft long lists are starting to roll out
In the last week, Corey Pronman of The Athletic revealed his top 112 NHL Draft prospects list. Earlier in the process, NHL Central Scouting published its final list. Here at Sound Of Hockey we recently published our final data-only watchlist. Check out the full post if you haven’t, but here are 200 first-time eligible prospects to watch as we move toward draft day.
Notes on three other Kraken prospects
Oscar Fisker Mølgaard | F | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)
Mølgaard leads the AHL playoffs in goals (six) and points (10). Similar to our observation of Miettinen’s game, most believe Mølgaard projects as a low-scoring, two-way presence. The scoring is a great thing to see as Mølgaard attempts to climb the last (and most difficult) rung of the development ladder.
J.R. Avon | F | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)
Last week’s Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week selection was a bit ahead of its time. J.R. Avon had the dramatic winner in double overtime last Saturday. His five playoff goals are second only to Mølgaard’s in the entire AHL. His finishing skill gives him the added dimension necessary to break through and eventually play NHL games.
— x – Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) May 10, 2026
Jani Nyman | F | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)
Among players under 23 years old in the AHL playoffs, Jani Nyman is second in total scoring, and Jagger Firkus is tied for third. Nyman’s season was disappointing at the NHL level, but it is important to note that his effort level and production did not sag after his return to the AHL. His 24 total goals across the AHL regular season and postseason rank seventh among all players under 23 years old, and he has played only 48 AHL games this year. The scoring ability is still there.
Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker
4 wins: Julius Miettinen, Jake O’Brien
3 wins: Jagger Firkus, Kim Saarinen, Oscar Fisker Mølgaard
Wyatt Cullen has been a steady riser throughout this draft season. The 6-foot-1 winger was the leading scorer for the U.S. National Team Development Program’s U18 team this season, and he led all players with 1.8 points per game at the 2026 U18 World Championship. Cullen was No. 38 on the midseason Big Board but has ascended since then and is now No. 13 among North American skaters on the final NHL Central Scouting list. He could go as high as the top 10 in June.
Header photo of Julius Miettinen taken byEvan Morud, courtesy of the Everett Silvertips.
Curtis Isacke
Curtis is a Sound Of Hockey contributor and member of the Kraken press corps. Curtis is an attorney by day, and he has read the NHL collective bargaining agreement and bylaws so you don’t have to. He can be found analyzing the Kraken, NHL Draft, and other hockey topics on Twitter and Bluesky @deepseahockey.
Welcome to our annual data-driven analysis of the top prospects in the 2026 NHL Draft. We’re digging deep, giving you a watchlist of 200 first-time eligible and 100 re-entry skaters to follow as the draft approaches.
What is the data-only watchlist?
The watchlist is not a traditional scouting assessment of prospects. Instead, as in years past, we built our watchlist using public, quantifiable data only. Think of it as a supplement to the scouting and analytical work on prospects being published by other sources like Elite Prospects or NHL Central Scouting.
The watchlist can be revealing in its areas of agreement or disagreement with the work of traditional scouting services. But it is not a replacement for the valuable work of scouts. There may be reasons to prefer a prospect listed lower on the watchlist over one listed higher. Indeed, I have formed some of my own subjective preferences. I may have the opportunity to return to some of those assessments as the draft season progresses, but those preferences are not reflected here.
This is a skater-only list for now—though it remains a priority to revisit and develop a satisfactory method to integrate goalies.
The “Data Score” approach
What does our data-only analysis involve? As I have done in years past when looking at NHL Draft prospects (or NHL-affiliated prospects), I have organized this player list by “Data Score”—a rough metric we came up with here at Sound Of Hockey. This season’s approach includes new steps that I believe will be valuable in helping identify top players.
Data Score begins with the bedrock of an NHL equivalency (“NHLe”). NHLe is a method for comparing the scoring proficiency of players in the various professional and junior leagues across the globe. I used Thibaud Chatel’s model, which is the most up-to-date public research in the area. Check out Chatel’s Substack for an in-depth discussion of NHLe. For this project, I used Chatel’s newest model, which has been updated to account for 2025-26 season data.
From there, as before, I make adjustments based on factors known to be linked to prospect success rates: (1) position, (2) height, (3) age, and (4) re-draft status. I also make a modest upward adjustment to the NHLe for low-scoring draft-eligible players playing in high-level professional leagues. (This is based on public research by Chace McCallum that was taken down when he started working for an NHL team.)
What’s new this year? In contrast with years past, when I looked at only a one-year sample to create this list, this time I applied this NHLe to multiple years of scoring data for these prospects—specifically the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons. More recent play is given more weight. I believe this is an important upgrade to the approach.
I also adjusted the underlying point-rate totals used in the process to give less weight to assists relative to goals. This is based on public research suggesting goal scoring is more predictive of future point production than assist totals, even primary assists.
The full watchlist, which will be made available to Sound Of Hockey Patreon members shortly, covers approximately 12,000 skaters.
The 2026 NHL Draft watchlist
Most notable to me is just how much agreement you can find between scouting assessments and “Data Score.” If I presented the top 32 as a first-round scouting rank, it would raise questions—but perhaps not as many as you might think.
Beyond that, the most notable thing is that Data Score sees two elite players at the top of the 2026 NHL Draft: Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg. Despite being older draft-eligible prospects with only adequate height, their scoring production puts them in a different tier.
They arrived at this tier in two different ways, though. Gavin McKenna reached an elite level earlier (2.3 points per CHL game in 2024-25) and essentially maintained his production against elevated NCAA competition (1.4 points per NCAA game in 2025-26). Ivar Stenberg was quite good in the lower junior leagues in 2024-25, but his arrow pointed up in a big way in his draft season when he posted almost 0.8 points per game in the SHL. This is the third-most ever by a draft-eligible SHL prospect and the best single statistical season in the two-year sample I assembled for this project.
There is a bit of a gap after the top two prospects. Players like Porter Martone or Jake O’Brien from the 2025 NHL Draft would have been clear-cut second-tier prospects if they were eligible this season. Instead, defensemen Chase Reid and Carson Carels are the next players on the list. In an average-or-better draft, Reid and Carels may be closer to top-10 prospects than top-five candidates, but both bring strong offensive profiles that project to first-pair NHL futures.
Keep an eye on Nikita Klepov and J.P. Hurlbert as two forwards who could be selected higher than we might think—in the mold of Ben Kindel in the 2025 NHL Draft. As was the case with Kindel, it only takes one team to make a bet on their strong junior scoring profiles.
Wyatt Cullen and Ethan Belchetz are two bigger forwards who could make a push toward the top of the 2026 NHL Draft as well. They bring strong physical traits and “good-enough” data to forge a top-10 consensus in a draft room.
At the other end of the spectrum, if there is one player in the top 10 of the watchlist I’d suspect will linger toward the end of Round 1 (or later), it would be Ryan Roobroeck. Despite being strong overall, his equivalency is actually trending in the wrong direction while scouts question his engagement and consistency.
Evan Jardine is a USHL forward who likely won’t be drafted until the later rounds, but will probably score as a college player next season, and everyone will question how he slipped through the cracks. (In other words, Jardine could be this year’s version of Ethan Wyttenbach, who was No. 11 on last year’s watchlist but lingered until pick No. 144 in the 2025 NHL Draft before going on to post huge scoring numbers in college.)
Undersized, offense-first defensemen top the re-draft pool. Jonas Woo, Tomas Galvas, and Oliwer Sjöström all have strong arguments to be late-round flyers. Everett Silvertip Matias Vanhanen (who is a very young re-draft player) has a strong chance to be one of the first re-entry candidates off the board.
Season trends relative to the preseason list
When comparing with our preseason list, we see significant consistency at the top. 18 of the top 32 players on our final list were also ranked within the top 32 before the season began. Almost all the rest were listed in the second- to third-round range: 31 of the 32 skaters ranked within the top 82 of our preseason list. Only QMJHL blueliner Tommy Bleyl played himself into first-round consideration from a more obscure preseason position.
We did see a few players experience significant falls from our preseason list, however, due to underwhelming draft seasons. Olivers Murnieks is a notable example. He stood at No. 7 on our preseason list but fell to No. 86 among first-eligible skaters on our final list.
Revisiting the 2025 NHL Draft data-only watchlist
How much can you learn about likely draft projection from a player’s placement on the watchlist? As you might expect, it’s not perfect. There are players that scouts “like” (or “dislike”) for reasons other than the quantifiable factors included in Data Score.
That said, it is again remarkable how much you can predict based on public data alone. Looking back at the top 32 first-time eligible prospects on our 2025 data-only watchlist, 23 went in the first round, five more went in the second or third round, and all 32 were drafted.
Other watchlist takeaways and local connections
The run of top prospects playing junior hockey in the Pacific Northwest has not broken yet. No. 33-ranked Mathis Preston played for the Spokane Chiefs and Vancouver Giants this season. No. 52-ranked Chase Harrington played for the Chiefs as well. No. 12-ranked defenseman Ryan Lin played for the Giants, and No. 3-ranked defenseman Carson Carels played for the Prince George Cougars. Everett’s Vanhanen may be the first Puget Sound-area player selected.
Looking at the league landscape, seven of our top-32 first-time eligible prospects played their draft seasons in the OHL, the most of any league. The WHL and USHL were tied for second with six such prospects each. After that, the NCAA had four players, and the QMJHL had three.
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Do you have any questions? Reach out to us in the comments below or on Twitter/X @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey or on BlueSky at @deepseahockey or @soundofhockey.com.
Header photo of J.P. Hurlbert taken byEvan Morud, courtesy of the Everett Silvertips.
Curtis Isacke
Curtis is a Sound Of Hockey contributor and member of the Kraken press corps. Curtis is an attorney by day, and he has read the NHL collective bargaining agreement and bylaws so you don’t have to. He can be found analyzing the Kraken, NHL Draft, and other hockey topics on Twitter and Bluesky @deepseahockey.
Earlier in the season, we compared Seattle Kraken data from the team’s winning streaks and losing streaks. Now that the season is over, I wanted to revisit that analysis and break the season into three buckets.
Opening stretch: Oct. 9, 2025, to Dec. 19, 2025, 12-14-6 record in 32 games
Pre-Olympic break: Dec. 20, 2025, to Feb. 5, 2026, 15-6-3 record in 24 games
Post-Olympic break: Feb. 6, 2026, to April 17, 2026, 7-17-2 record in 26 games
The buckets are not equal in games played, but they are big enough sample sizes to learn about the differences in how the team was performing during those times. Those periods also make sense to use for this analysis, because the Kraken had very different success rates in each stretch.
Opening stretch
The opening stretch featured a team that showed promise, started hot, then went ice cold.
Through the first 23 games of the season, the Kraken were 11-6-6. That put them second in the Pacific Division and 10th overall in the league. That stretch carried them to Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, 2025.
At the time, it looked like new head coach Lane Lambert’s system was working. The Kraken were competing and winning in the first quarter of the season.
Then, after Turkey Day, the season turned. Seattle went 1-8-0 and dropped from 10th in the league to 31st.
Pre-Olympic break
Just when many were counting the Kraken out, they became the hottest team in the Pacific Division before the Olympic break.
Seattle went 15-6-3 and surged back into the playoff conversation. The Kraken had the fourth-best record in the NHL during this stretch.
With a little more than two-thirds of the season complete, it looked like the Kraken had found their way. Outside of the 1-8-0 stretch, Seattle had played 47 games at a .649 points percentage.
The Kraken headed into the break full of confidence and sitting third in the Pacific Division.
Post-Olympic break
After the break, the Kraken could not find a shred of confidence. They free-fell out of the playoff picture.
Seattle went 7-17-2, which ranked 31st in the league during this stretch. The only team worse was the Toronto Maple Leafs, who finished one spot ahead of the Kraken in the NHL Draft Lottery odds and eventually won the first overall pick.
The Kraken finished 27th in the NHL standings and landed the seventh overall pick in the upcoming draft.
Expected vs. actual goals
The Kraken used a system that relied heavily on defensive structure. That came at the cost of offense, but during the pre-break stretch, Seattle found the best balance of the season.
The Kraken scored 3.42 goals per game during that run, their highest mark of the three buckets. They also had their best defensive results, allowing 2.58 goals per game.
During their worst stretch, the post-break run, the Kraken generated their lowest expected goals for at 2.58 per game. Scoring dipped, but the bigger issue came at the other end.
Seattle allowed a season-high 3.69 goals per game after the break. That was significantly higher than its expected goals against of 3.17, suggesting the defensive structure and goaltending both struggled.
One data point stands out. During the pre-break run, Seattle had its highest xGA of the season at 3.22. But the Kraken allowed only 2.58 goals per game, indicating they received elevated goaltending during that stretch.
Team goaltending
The team goaltending numbers aligned closely with Seattle’s win-loss record in each bucket.
During the pre-break stretch, when the Kraken were winning, goaltending hit a season high in both save percentage (.915) and goals saved above expected (15.24).
The opposite was true during the post-break stretch. Seattle’s save percentage dropped to .877, and its goals saved above expected fell to -13.65. Both were season lows.
Scoring first
If you pulled the numbers from the scoring-first chart, they would look almost identical to the team save percentage chart above.
More often than not, teams that score first go on to win the game. The Kraken scored first in 41 games, exactly half of their season, and went 24-13-4 in those games.
Overall, that sounds like a decent record. It also highlights the importance of scoring first. The issue came after the Olympic break. Seattle had a losing record when scoring first, even though it scored first exactly half the time in each bucket.
That shows the Kraken had a hard time protecting leads. It becomes even clearer when looking at games where the Kraken held a two-goal lead at any point.
Seattle won 23 straight games when holding a two-goal lead to start the season. But in the final 20 games, the Kraken held a two-goal lead seven times and went just 4-2-1. One of those wins came in overtime.
Percentage of time leading
Game strategy can change depending on whether a team is leading, tied, or trailing.
With Seattle’s defensive strategy, the Kraken often seemed comfortable playing with the game tied. But after the break, there was a dramatic uptick in the amount of time spent trailing.
That forced Seattle to chase offense. When teams chase offense, defensive breakdowns tend to follow, which helps explain why Seattle’s goals against jumped after the break.
Shots
Looking at shot volume, it is interesting that the Kraken were at their best when taking fewer shots.
During the pre-break stretch, when Seattle won the most games, the Kraken averaged only 24.9 shots on goal and 50.1 shot attempts per game. They also allowed their most shots against during this span, which again points to how important goaltending was during that run.
Here is a breakdown of expected goals from shots from the low-, medium-, and high-danger areas.
Overall, the Kraken had a lower offensive xG than their opponents in each bucket. It is hard to win consistently over a full season when the opponent generates more expected offense.
Special teams
Finally, let’s look at special teams.
The penalty kill finished 31st in the NHL. Technically, it could have been worse, but not by much. There is far more room to improve in the positive direction next season.
John Barr created a 10-game moving average of the penalty kill that can be viewed here.
The power play finished 21st in the NHL, solidly in the bottom half of the league.
The biggest takeaway is that Seattle’s power-play xG per 60 dropped to its lowest total during the third of the three buckets at 5.44. To rub salt in the wound, the Kraken scored only 2.99 goals per 60.
Watching the games live, it seemed like the Kraken started taking more shots from the point after the Olympic break. Here is a heatmap of the power-play shots in each bucket.
At first glance, the intent looks similar in each bucket. The Kraken wanted to get the puck to the net front, where most of their shots came from. They also generated shots from the wings near both face-off dots.
I added an orange line to the heatmap, 10 feet from the blue line, and counted the number of shots from that area in each bucket.
There are two takeaways:
The percentage of point shots increased to 12 percent. Those are typically low-percentage shots and are easier for goaltenders to control.
In the opening stretch and pre-break buckets, the point shots were more tightly grouped. In the post-break bucket, they spanned a larger portion of the blue line.
That could indicate a change in strategy, with the Kraken shooting from everywhere to get pucks to the front of the net. But it also felt like they were rushing shots.
For comparison, Kraken opponents took only 4.8 percent of their power-play shots from the point against Seattle’s penalty kill. It should be noted that the special teams data only looks at 5-on-4 power-play situations and 4-on-5 penalty-kill situations.
Hot and cold
The Kraken had a hot-and-cold season where goaltending, defense, and offense all had to align for a full 60 minutes to earn a win.
The team had sustained stretches where that formula worked. But the lows also showed Seattle does not have enough offensive firepower to consistently compete when it falls behind.
The finish to the season is not all bad. The Kraken are set to get their fifth top-10 pick in the NHL Draft on June 26.
Meanwhile, although the Kraken are done for the season, the Coachella Valley Firebirds continue to amaze. They are advancing to the AHL Pacific Division Finals against the Colorado Eagles, giving Seattle’s prospect pool more valuable playoff experience.
All data was sourced from MoneyPuck.com and the NHL play-by-play data.
Feel free to leave a comment below and continue the conversation.
Blaiz Grubic
Blaiz Grubic is a contributor at Sound Of Hockey. A passionate hockey fan and player for over 30 years, Blaiz grew up in the Pacific Northwest and is an alumni of Washington State University (Go Cougs!). When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about hockey, he enjoys quality time with his wife and daughter or getting out on a golf course for a quick round. Follow @blaizg on BlueSky or X.
Welcome to “Down on the Farm,” your weekly Seattle Kraken prospects update. In this week’s column, we’ll update you on where the Firebirds stand in the Calder Cup playoffs, how Seattle Kraken prospects are faring elsewhere in their postseasons, and a big-time prospect turning pro. After that, we’ll have notes and video from around the Kraken system and the Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week, as always.
In the weeks ahead, we’ll be bridging into offseason mode, which will include more video deep dives but could also include answers to your questions. So, if you have a Seattle Kraken prospect-related question you’d like to see featured in a future column or mailbag, drop us a note below or on X or BlueSky at @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey.
Firebirds face winner-take-all Game 5 in second-round series against the Ontario Reign
Since our last update, the Firebirds and their fans have endured a roller-coaster experience in Coachella Valley’s second-round matchup against Ontario. The Firebirds scored first in Game 2 in Ontario last Friday, and it seemed like the good times were rolling. However, Ontario then scored five straight goals, including three in the third period. The 5–1 loss leveled the series at a game apiece.
Game 3 on Tuesday back home in Coachella Valley was a similar story. The Firebirds took the lead on a Jani Nyman first-period goal but were held scoreless the rest of the way and dropped the contest 2–1. In a five-game series, Coachella Valley was on the brink of elimination again.
In Game 4 on Thursday, things were looking grim when Ontario took the lead less than six minutes into the game. This time, though, the Firebirds were able to flip the script, scoring four goals on NHL veteran Phoenix Copley before adding two empty-netters to secure a 6–2 victory.
So far this season, the Firebirds have played three elimination games and won them all. A ticket to the Pacific Division Finals awaits if the Firebirds can make it four for four in Game 5. Puck drop is at 6:00 p.m. PDT on Saturday at Toyota Arena in Ontario. The game will stream live on FloHockey.
Regardless of the outcome, the Firebirds have put together an impressive season as the youngest team in the AHL. Reaching the playoffs was achievement enough, but they defeated Bakersfield and are now giving the veteran-laden, Pacific Division-best Ontario Reign all they can handle in the second round.
On the individual side, Oscar Fisker Mølgaard continues to lead the AHL playoffs in goals (five) and total points (nine). Jani Nyman is tied for third in points (seven), followed closely by Jagger Firkus (six). No goalie has started more playoff games than Nikke Kokko, with seven. (Victor Ostman saw action only once in relief in the Bakersfield series.)
Kraken hold the seventh pick in the 2026 NHL Draft
If you missed it, the NHL Draft Lottery took place earlier this week. The Kraken did not win, instead moving down one slot to No. 7 overall. Read up on how the lottery works and our way-too-early look at who the Kraken may select with the seventh pick. We’ll return with a lot more Kraken-specific and league-wide draft analysis in the weeks ahead.
2026 NHL Draft: 50 prospects in 50 Days
Follow along as we highlight a new prospect each day, sharing facts and video.
Since the final 2026 Sound Of Hockey Big Board will not arrive until a couple weeks before the draft, we'll follow our midseason order.https://t.co/B5J152ToSD
Zeb Forsfjäll wins a second SHL Championship in three seasons
No Kraken-drafted player has found more team success than 2023 sixth-round pick Zeb Forsfjäll. In the three intervening years playing top-tier professional hockey with Skellefteå AIK of the SHL, the 5-foot-9 checking forward has been an active contributor to two championships. Skellefteå sealed its most recent title last Saturday with a comeback 7–3 win over Rögle.
Everett and Chicoutimi continue their pursuit of CHL titles and the Memorial Cup
And then there were two. The Brantford Bulldogs (Jake O’Brien) and Windsor Spitfires (Nathan Villeneuve and Jakub Fibigr) were both eliminated in the penultimate round of the OHL playoffs, ending their seasons — and likely the CHL careers of all three Kraken prospects involved.
Everett vs. Prince Albert
In the WHL, Julius Miettinen and the top-seeded Everett Silvertips will take on the Prince Albert Raiders in the WHL Championship. Sound Of Hockey‘s Cameron Riggers has a full preview of that series here.
Julius Miettinen has 10 goals and 8 assists in 13 WHL playoff games so far. His 10 goals are the most in the WHL playoffs (tied with linemate Matias Vanhanen), and his 18 total points are fourth-most. His plus-15 rating is third-best in the playoffs.
Fri, May 8 – Prince Albert at Everett – 7:00 pm PDT – Angel of the Winds Arena Sat, May 9 – Prince Albert at Everett – 6:00 pm PDT – Angel of the Winds Arena Tue, May 12 – Everett at Prince Albert – 6:30 pm PDT – Art Hauser Centre Wed, May 13 – Everett at Prince Albert – 6:30 pm PDT – Art Hauser Centre Fri, May 15 – Everett at Prince Albert – 6:30 pm PDT – Art Hauser Centre* Sun, May 17 – Prince Albert at Everett – 7:00 pm PDT – Angel of the Winds Arena* Mon, May 18 – Prince Albert at Everett – 7:00 pm PDT – Angel of the Winds Arena* *If necessary
All games are available to stream free on Victory+.
Chicoutimi vs. Moncton
Over in the QMJHL, the Chicoutimi Saguenéens and Alexis Bernier reached the QMJHL Finals against the Moncton Wildcats. Two of the top teams in the CHL, this figures to be a difficult, long series.
For Bernier, this is his second chance in the championship round, having previously reached the final with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in 2024. Bernier has five points in 14 playoff games. His plus-10 rating is tied for sixth-best in the QMJHL playoffs.
Fri, May 8 – Chicoutimi at Moncton – 3:00 pm PDT – Centre Avenir Sat, May 9 – Chicoutimi at Moncton – 3:00 pm PDT – Centre Avenir Tue, May 12 – Moncton at Chicoutimi – 4:00 pm PDT – Centre Georges-Vézina Wed, May 13 – Moncton at Chicoutimi – 4:00 pm PDT – Centre Georges-Vézina Fri, May 15 – Chicoutimi at Moncton – 3:00 pm PDT – Centre Avenir* Sun, May 17 – Moncton at Chicoutimi – 4:00 pm PDT – Centre Georges-Vézina* Tue, May 19 – Chicoutimi at Moncton – 3:00 pm PDT – Centre Avenir* *If necessary
As mentioned above, the Brantford Bulldogs bowed out of the OHL playoffs against the Barrie Colts last week. It was a surprising result for a stacked Bulldogs team that led the series three games to one before dropping three games in a row.
With the expectation that 19-year-old first-round picks out of the CHL will be eligible to play in the AHL next season, this likely marks the end of O’Brien’s OHL career. If this is it, he left an indelible mark on the Bulldogs, holding the team’s all-time points record and serving as the team’s captain during the 2025–26 season.
The Kraken have since reassigned O’Brien to the Coachella Valley Firebirds. It remains to be seen whether he will have the opportunity to play during this playoff run. The odds would seem to increase if the Firebirds advance to the Pacific Division Finals.
Alexis Bernier | D | Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL)
As Bernier and the Saguenéens continue their push for a QMJHL championship and Memorial Cup, the player faces another important bit of business. Bernier, a 2024 third-round pick, remains unsigned. With one footnote, if Bernier does not sign with the Kraken by June 1, 2026, Seattle will lose his signing rights, and Bernier will re-enter the 2026 NHL Draft.
The one wrinkle is that Seattle would retain his signing rights if Bernier commits to playing for a college team for the 2026–27 season before June 1. I have not yet seen any reporting suggesting that this is a possibility for the young blue-liner. Important decisions await.
The trade has worked out well for both sides. Robertson set professional career highs in games played, goals, and assists with Lehigh Valley. Over in Palm Desert, Avon set career-high scoring totals too, despite missing a significant portion of the season with an injury. Avon’s season has hit its high-water mark in the Pacific Division Semifinals with three goals in four games, including the crucial game-tying goal in Game 4 on Thursday.
Tracking 2026 NHL Draft prospects: Marcus Nordmark
Nordmark is a potential first-round pick, checking in at No. 23 on the midseason Big Board and No. 8 among international skaters on the final NHL Central Scouting list. The 6-foot-1 Nordmark has been a prolific producer for Sweden’s international teams, though he was uncharacteristically quiet at the recent U18 World Championship, recording only four points in six games. Scouts credit elite hands and offensive instincts as his calling card. On the other hand, scouts have raised significant concerns about his effort and consistency.
Curtis is a Sound Of Hockey contributor and member of the Kraken press corps. Curtis is an attorney by day, and he has read the NHL collective bargaining agreement and bylaws so you don’t have to. He can be found analyzing the Kraken, NHL Draft, and other hockey topics on Twitter and Bluesky @deepseahockey.
Following the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery, the Kraken will pick seventh when the 2026 NHL Draft begins on June 26. (How did Seattle end up here, and how does the Lottery even work? Check out our pre-Lottery primer.)
Last summer the Kraken selected Jake O’Brien at No. 8 overall–a pick that is looking like a sound investment so far. O’Brien has amassed 116 total points across 68 regular- and post-season OHL games.
Could the Kraken find a similar high-end producer this year? Or is this the season Seattle finally drafts a defenseman in the first round? There is a relatively high degree of uncertainty in the prospect hierarchy this year as we enter the final pre-draft stages. There is also some uncertainty in the Kraken’s approach with assistant general manager Ryan Jankowski overseeing the amateur scouting process for the first time.
Let’s take a look at how the first 10 picks of the draft could play out.
2025 NHL Mock Draft – Top 10
1. Toronto Maple Leafs: Gavin McKenna | Left Wing | Penn State Univ. (NCAA)
Games played: 35, Goals: 15, Assists: 36, Points/game: 1.46 NHL Central Scouting: 1 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 83.9
From the jaws of disastrous defeat—their top pick potentially going to the bitter rival Boston Bruins if the ping pong balls had bounced differently—the Maple Leafs snatched victory, winning the draft lottery.
With the departure of Mitch Marner, the Maple Leafs fell from a top-10 offense and power play in 2024–25 to a middling team in both categories in 2025–26. The Leafs need an injection of youth and scoring. Gavin McKenna is the most talented player in this draft and a perfect tonic for Toronto.
McKenna lit up the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers before enrolling at Penn State for his draft season. While he had some quiet stretches (and an off-ice incident) during his freshman year, McKenna finished the year with 51 points. This was the fourth-most among draft-eligible college players in the last 20 years, behind only Adam Fantilli, Macklin Celebrini, and Jack Eichel.
McKenna doesn’t have dynamic straight-line speed, but he can manipulate and beat defenses with his skating, possession, and passing in-zone. He creates space for himself and his teammates with the ease of a star.
Nitpicking his game, scouts fault him for floating around the perimeter too often. But even if he doesn’t improve in this area, the extremity of his skill level is unlikely to be denied. Mitch Marner or early-career Connor Bedard are reasonable comparisons, even if McKenna doesn’t fully hit his ceiling. He’s likely to slot into an NHL lineup right away.
2. San Jose Sharks: Ivar Stenberg | Left Wing | Frölunda HC (SHL)
Games played: 43, Goals: 11, Assists: 22, Points/game: 0.77 NHL Central Scouting: 1 (Euro Skaters) | Data Score: 79.9
The San Jose Sharks will again pick in the top two after winning the second lottery drawing. Ivar Stenberg is the no-brainer pick here. Internal depth charts should not matter. There have been rumblings from analysts that other players are in the mix at No. 2 overall, but I would be surprised. There is a clear drop-off in talent level after Stenberg.
The younger brother of 2023 first-round pick Otto Stenberg, Ivar projects as a first-line winger down the road and is the most NHL-ready forward in the draft to help a team this coming season. Even in a draft with McKenna, Stenberg is the hottest prospect entering the draft.
Stenberg’s 2025–26 season in the SHL was the single best statistical season in the two-year sample I assembled for thousands of draft-eligible players. Stenberg compiled the third-most points ever by a draft-eligible SHL player, outpacing players like Elias Lindholm, Nicklas Bäckström, Leo Carlsson, and William Eklund, just to name a few.
Scouts credit a strong offensive package of possession, shot, and passing skills, matched by high-end hockey IQ. While one might expect a weaker defensive or puck-battle profile, he receives strong grades in those areas as well.
San Jose could be a contender for the next decade.
3. Vancouver Canucks: Caleb Malhotra | Center | Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
Games played: 67, Goals: 29, Assists: 55, Points/game: 1.25 NHL Central Scouting: 6 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 44.5
After an exodus of impact skill, Vancouver needs high-end talent. The Canucks entered the draft with the best lottery odds and the best shot at acquiring one of the two impact wingers in this draft. Unfortunately, Vancouver fell out of the top two slots.
All is not lost, though. There have been murmurs from national insiders that Vancouver really likes center Caleb Malhotra, and with good reason. Malhotra may have done more to help himself in his draft season than any other player. Coming into the season, Tynan Lawrence was viewed as the consensus top center, and Malhotra was a bit of an afterthought coming off a mid-range season in the BCHL. His play was trending up in the BCHL playoffs for Chilliwack, though, and he took a giant leap in his draft season in the OHL with Brantford.
Malhotra flashes everything you could want from a center: defense, physicality, transition-driving possession ability, and passing and finishing skill in the offensive zone. Still, he has a limited CHL résumé. Will a team like Vancouver, drafting in the top five, trust a one-year evaluation over everything else? It’s a choice you’d rather make in the teens than that high. Still, the siren song of a center is strong.
4. Chicago Blackhawks: Carsen Carels | Left Defense | Prince George Cougars (WHL)
Games played: 58, Goals: 20, Assists: 53, Points/game: 1.26 NHL Central Scouting: 3 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 55.7
Like Vancouver, Chicago falls two positions in the draft order, and the picks in front of them leave the Blackhawks in a tougher spot. I suspect Chicago would have liked to see any of the three top forwards still available here, but that’s not how the board falls for them. Part of me wonders if this could result in the first true surprise of the draft, with the Blackhawks reaching a bit further down the board for a forward.
Carson Carels would likely be viewed as the best player available. While the Blackhawks still have Kevin Korchinski coming as a left-shot defenseman, the right-side depth chart is a bigger logjam, with both Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel looking like long-term pieces.
Carels’ 1.26 points per game this season is the highest mark by a draft-eligible WHL defenseman since Scott Niedermayer in the 1990–91 season. The 6-foot-2 left-shot defenseman also has the advantage of youth (born June 23, 2008) compared with the other prospects listed here.
When I’ve watched Carels, I’ve formed the impression of a very solid all-around player. He can defend with physicality, initiate the rush, and flash skill in the offensive zone. But I tend to view his upside as closer to a first-pair defenseman rather than a true “No. 1.” Similar to Chase Reid, I don’t see physically dominant tools or top-end upside. And since I’d put Carels’ offense slightly behind Reid’s, he’s likely to rank slightly behind Reid as a top-10 prospect for me personally. It’s close though.
5. New York Rangers: Chase Reid | Right Defense | Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
Games played: 45, Goals: 18, Assists: 30, Points/game: 1.07 NHL Central Scouting: 2 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 54.3
The Rangers could use an impact center in their system, but the supply just is not there at this point in the draft. Tynan Lawrence projects as a solid professional center, but his draft season has raised questions about whether he will bring above-average offense.
The Rangers could also use an impact, potential No. 1 defenseman, and that’s what Chase Reid could be. Reid stands out to me as the most dynamic offensive presence from the blue line in the draft. The 6-foot-2 righty is a strong skater and puck-driving catalyst. He has the offensive IQ and passing ability to lead a power-play unit and is progressing enough defensively to take difficult matchups.
On the other hand, Reid brings track record and upside questions. He has produced since he’s been in the OHL, but the résumé is short; he played 18 games of his 2024–25 season in the NAHL, which rarely produces high draft picks. And even if you’re buying the OHL production (I am), Reid may not have the pure physicality to dominate at the NHL level.
Reid gives the Rangers something they don’t have in their system and could be the heir to Adam Fox in the Big Apple.
6. Calgary Flames: Keaton Verhoeff | Right Defense | Univ. of North Dakota (NCAA)
Games played: 36, Goals: 6, Assists: 14, Points/game: 0.56 NHL Central Scouting: 4 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 48.8
The Calgary Flames have shown an inclination toward drafting strong “data” profiles in recent years. This raises the possibility that the Flames go a bit off the board here and pick a forward like J.P. Hurlbert, Nikita Klepov, or maybe Ethan Beltchetz—players a data-oriented team may value in this range of the draft, but most public analysts have in the 10-to-20 range.
Though defenseman Daxon Rudolph has often been discussed a little lower, he has arguably the best overall data profile remaining at this point. Ideally, the Flames may prefer to add a left-shot defenseman to their existing prospect pool, but the only left-shot defenseman who could go in this range, Alberts Smits, brings more immediate impact and a lower offensive ceiling—two factors that don’t fit the Flames’ timeline or needs.
All told, Keaton Verhoeff, another right-shot defenseman, may be the player who appeals here. If there was a threat to McKenna’s status as the No. 1 overall pick coming into the season, many thought it would be Verhoeff. Verhoeff, a 6-foot-4 right-handed blueliner, played his draft season at the University of North Dakota after a very strong run both offensively and defensively for the Victoria Royals in the WHL.
Verhoeff’s offensive production flattened a bit in the second half of his draft season, and his skating and four-way mobility drew some criticism from scouts. This has dropped him down most boards, but I wonder if some of this is unwarranted—the result of seeing the inevitable struggle at a higher competition level before the draft rather than after. Generally, I’m in favor of junior players pushing themselves like Verhoeff did, and it was not calamitous. He may be trending toward a solid pro rather than an All-Star at the moment, but there are still abundant offensive and physical tools to be excited about. He’s a worthy upside swing toward the end of the top 10 in this draft.
7. Seattle Kraken: Alberts Smits | Left Defense | Jukurit (Liiga)
Games played: 38, Goals: 6, Assists: 7, Points/game: 0.34 NHL Central Scouting: 2 (Euro Skaters) | Data Score: 32.5
Ideally, the Kraken would prefer to see one of the second-tier players (Malhotra, Reid, or Carels) fall here, but that does not happen in this scenario.
If given the opportunity, I’m curious to see how the team values Verhoeff. The team has used first-round picks on other players with strong, early breakouts and arguably underwhelming draft seasons (like Shane Wright and Eduard Sale). That said, Verhoeff is off the board here too.
The Kraken would likely be best served seeing if they can move the pick to obtain a proven NHL player. If the Kraken do pick here, it could come down to two defensemen: Rudolph and Smits.
Smits is the inverse of Carels and Reid. I’ve seen him dominate peer-level competition at the World Juniors for Latvia. He has high-level pro experience in both the top German and Finnish leagues, and he has the physicality to impose his will on a game at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds. It’s easier to see a “No. 1 defenseman” outcome if everything clicks.
On the other hand, he does not have high-end offensive production, and I wonder if he will be afforded the opportunity to tap into it at this stage. He has already found so much success as a defense-oriented professional. Generally, I’m not a fan of taking a defensive defenseman high in the draft because the overall impact on NHL team success is limited compared with a dynamic offensive presence. That said, Smits appeals for the Kraken because he could step in (whether immediately or after some time in the AHL) to fill a void on the left side and on the penalty kill with Jamie Oleksiak’s projected departure.
If I were making the choices for Seattle, I’d also give consideration to Klepov or Hurlbert (likely leaning toward the former player). Lawrence would be a solid investment, but I don’t see a path for him as a middle-six center in this system. He could be the pick if other system centers are moving out in an offseason trade. Ethan Belchetz would bring size and potential. If Smits is the pick, I’d try to bring him to Coachella Valley to begin the year and give him as much power-play time as possible early in an effort to tap into latent offensive potential.
8. Winnipeg Jets: Tynan Lawrence | Center | Boston University (NCAA)
Games played: 18, Goals: 2, Assists: 5, Points/game: 0.39 NHL Central Scouting: 7 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 48.2
The next-best player still on the board is likely Rudolph, but teams tend to value forwards—particularly centers—in the top 10. I find it a little difficult to believe that the run of blue-liners would reach five straight.
Winnipeg could use a solid young center, and most would view Lawrence as the next-best pivot on the board. Lawrence is a strong skater with a good shot who does a lot of the “little things” well. He has strong hockey IQ and solid fundamentals, both offensively and defensively, at the center position. This gives him a relatively high “floor.” The question is: will he ever deliver the offensive impact to be a reliable top-six piece?
Games played: 40, Goals: 16, Assists: 29, Points/game: 1.13 NHL Central Scouting: 13 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 49.3
The Panthers hope this is the team’s one shot at a high-end pick in this Cup-contending window, so they take a swing on upside here. Wyatt Cullen has been a riser late in the draft process, and I would not be surprised if the helium continued to build as we approach the draft, making this pick look slightly less surprising than it might at first blush. The top player on this year’s U.S. National Team Development Program roster, Cullen led all players with 1.8 points per game at the 2026 U18 World Championship.
Belchetz, Klepov, and Hurlbert also have significant upside and could warrant a pick in this range. Viggo Bjork is an intriguing fit in Florida, too.
10. Nashville Predators: Daxon Rudolph | Right Defense | Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
Games played: 68, Goals: 28, Assists: 50, Points/game: 1.15 NHL Central Scouting: 5 (NA Skaters) | Data Score: 51.1
Daxon Rudolph often gets lost in the shuffle when discussing the top defense prospects in this class, but he shouldn’t be. Rudolph brings excellent offensive production for a 6-foot-2 righty. His 78 points are the most by a draft-eligible WHL defenseman since the 2001–02 season (he played 10 more games than Carels). His 28 goals are the second-most in that same timeframe, behind only Carter Yakemchuk in 2023–24.
I’d put him behind Reid as an offensive player and behind Carels in terms of overall impact, but he projects as a top-four, two-way defenseman. The Predators have a strong system, but the one thing Nashville doesn’t have is a bankable right-shot defenseman. This makes Rudolph a good fit.
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Who do you see the Kraken drafting at No. 7 overall? Leave your picks in the comments below or on X @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey or on BlueSky @deepseahockey or @soundofhockey.com.
Curtis Isacke
Curtis is a Sound Of Hockey contributor and member of the Kraken press corps. Curtis is an attorney by day, and he has read the NHL collective bargaining agreement and bylaws so you don’t have to. He can be found analyzing the Kraken, NHL Draft, and other hockey topics on Twitter and Bluesky @deepseahockey.
